TORONTO — BMO Financial Group has announced it will replace Air Miles with a new loyalty benefits program called Blue Rewards this summer.
The new program will be available to all Canadians through the newly designed Blue Rewards app and will be integrated into BMO’s existing mobile banking app and the bank’s customer website.
AirMiles program members can continue to use their collector cards and their miles will automatically convert to Blue Points of equivalent value with no action required when it launches this summer.
BMO AirMiles credit and debit cardholders can continue to use their cards without interruption and will receive further program details in the coming months.
The bank said Blue Rewards, in partnership with Expedia Group, features a simplified booking experience for flights, hotels and car rentals.
It also builds on recent changes, including the ability to earn points on grocery and food deliveries when you scan in-store receipts using the Blue Rewards app, as well as the ability to earn bonus points at most retail grocery stores and wholesale clubs across Canada.
“Blue Rewards completely reimagines the customer-centric loyalty experience,” Matthew Mehrotra, head of BMO’s Canadian personal and business banking group, said in a news release.
“We are making one of Canada’s most famous loyalty programs even better by using our digitally enabled platform to offer simpler, more flexible and more personalized benefits to collectors, helping them make real financial progress every day.”
BMO acquired the AirMiles program for US$160 million in 2023 after its US parent company Loyalty One filed for bankruptcy.
It is one of Canada’s oldest and largest loyalty programs, with approximately 10 million active users at the time of acquisition. Collectors can earn AirMiles through participating stores, services and payment cards and redeem them for “aspirational rewards” such as merchandise, travel, events, attractions and more.
Meanwhile, Shell Canada announced Monday that its long-standing partnership with Air Miles is ending and the fuel company will instead join the Scene+ loyalty program.
Scene+ has more than 15 million members and is owned by Scotiabank, Empire Co. Ltd, and Cineplex Inc.
With Shell, members will be able to earn points when they visit any of the fuel company’s 1,400 gas stations and convenience stores across Canada.
The new service will roll out in Alberta on March 3rd and will expand across Canada on May 26th.
The partnership will also enable Scotiabank and Tangerine customers with eligible payment cards to save at participating Shell stores.